Weighted golf club and method of weighting same



Jan. 29, 1963 J. A. KARNS 3,075,763

WEIGHTED GOLF CLUB AND METHOD OF WEIGHTING SAME Filed Oct. 31, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Y i F/G.4'

INVENTOR. JAMES A. KARNS BY an ATTORNEYS Jan. 29, 1963 J. A. KARNS3,075,768

WEIGHTED GOLF CLUB AND METHOD OF WEIGHTING SAME Filed Oct. 31, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 2 8/ F/ 9 INVENTOR,

{N 80 BY JAMES A. KAfiIi/S F/G. l0 ATTORNEY flair tits 3,075,768WEIGHTED GGLF CLUB AND METHGD 9F WEIGHTING SAME James A. Karns, Akron,Ohio, assignor to Fawick Flexi- Grip Company, Akron, Ohio, a corporationof Ohio Filed Oct. 31, 1960, Ser. No. 66,270 13 Claims. (Cl. 273-81)This invention relates to a golf club weighted at the upper end toprovide the proper balance in the club, and the process of weighting theclub.

Balance is essential in a golf club. It has been customary to obtainbalance by adding weight, as necessary, to the head of the club.According to this invention weight is added to the top end of the club,and it is added after the grip has been put in place on the shaft.

According to this invention, a compartment to hold weighting means,preferably in solid particulate form, is provided within the end of theshaft, and the weighting means is added through a hole in the end of thegrip. This compartment may be built into the shaft, or it may beattached to the grip so that it fits into the shaft when the grip ispositioned over the end of the shaft, or it may be in separate meansheld over the end of the shaft by the grip. The compartment may beprovided by any suitable means.

Balance is obtained by introducing a larger or smaller amount of eithersolidifiable liquid or solid weighting means through the hole in thegrip after the grip has been assembled on the shaft. If solidparticulate material, such as shot is used, cushioning material ispreferably added to the compartment to prevent them from making anynoise when the position of the club is changed, as when it is swung inhitting a golf ball. This cushioning material is usually a spongyplastic. If the compartment is made of rubber and it is filled so fullof the weighting means that there is no possibility of their rattlingagainst one another, no cushioning means is required.

The weighting means may be composed of any material having asufiiciently high specific gravity. Shot are ordinarily employed, andthey are preferably larger in diameter than the hole in the grip throughwhich they are introduced into the compartment so that no special meansneed be provided to hold them in the compartment.

The compartment is advantageously a small sack, which may be of plasticor cloth or the like, or a small metal container. The compartment ispreferably made of rubher. It may be fastened to the shaft or the grip,or its edge may be placed over the end of the shaft and held there bythe grip. Alternatively, the grip may include a plug which makes afriction fit in the end of the shaft, and the compartment may be inthis. Or the compartment may be formed by blocking off the end of theshaft by suitable means.

The invention is further described in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which show a longitudinal section through the end of a golfclub shaft and grip, with the end of the shaft and grip broken away toshow difierent compartments and weighting means. In the draw- 1ngs FIG.1 shows a sack fastened to a cap located over the end of the shaft;

FIG. 2 shows a sack fastened to the inner surface of the shaft;

FIG. 3 shows a stiff container the outer edge of which is caught overthe end of the shaft and held in place by the grip;

FIG. 4 shows a compartment in a plug in the end of the shaft;

FIG. 5 shows a sack fastened to the grip; and

FIG. 6 shows a compartment formed by blocking off the end of the shaft.

aerate Patented Jan. 29, lhfili In FIGURES 1-6, the weighting means is anumber of shot, each larger than the hole in the grip through which theyare introduced into the compartment, and cushioning material is providedin the compartment to keep them from rattling against one another.

FIG. 7 shows an elastic compartment filled so full of shot that nocushioning means is required;

FIG. 8 shows a compartment similar to that shown in FIGURE 6, withsolidified liquid weighting material in it;

FIG. 9 shows a compartment similar to that shown in FIGURE 6 butweighted with small shot; and

FIG. 10 shows a shot covered with plastic.

In FIGURES l-9, the side and end of the hollow metal shaft S are coveredby a grip G, except that the grip of FIGURE 4 is composed of a part Gwhich covers the shaft surface and the plug P which is held by frictionin the end of the shaft. In FIGURES 1-3, 5 and 6, the cushioningmaterial C prevents the shot from rattling. This may be a piece of stifipolyurethane sponge, or sponge rubber, or the like.

In FIGURE 1, the compartment 5 in the end of the shaft is made of arubber compound having low elasticity, or it may be of cloth, fine metalmesh, etc. Its edge 6 is flared out and fastened to the metal cap 7which fits over the end of the shaft S. The hole 8 in the center of thecap is in line with the round opening 9 through the end of the grip. Thecushioning material C is put in the sack 5 before it is fastened to thecap. The cap is located over the end of the shaft and the grip is put inplace over the shaft and cap. Then with the club in a suitable balancingdevice, any required number of shot 12, which have a larger diameterthan the hole '9, are forced through the opening 9 into the sack. Thenumber of shot may vary. Usually one to eight will be sufficient.

The weighting means of FIGURE 2 is similar, except that the cap has beenomitted, and the sack 20 is fastened, as by cement (not shown), directlyto the inner surface of the shaft.

The container 25 of FIG. 3 is shown as a thin metal container, but itmay be of cloth, plastic or the like. If of plastic, the edge may berolled to a bead to keep it in place. The edge 26 of the container fitsover the end of the shaft and lies flat against its outer surface. Thepressure of the grip, holding the edge 26 against the outer surface ofthe shaft, and also pressing the container against the end of the shaft,is sufficient to maintain the container in position. It may be cementedin place, if desired. Cushioning material is put in the container, andthen shot 28 are added through the opening in the grip after the griphas been placed on the shaft.

The plug P of FIGURE 4 may be made of harder or softer rubber or otherplastic, etc. Preferably it forms a pressure-fit in the end of theshaft, but it may be cemented in place. It is hollowed out to form thecompartment 36 at the end of the neck 31. The club is balanced byintroducing the required number of shot through the neck into thecompartment 34). The shot may be so large that they must be forcedthrough the neck, or they may be so small that they can be easilyintroduced through the neck. Since it is diliicult to provide acushioning material in such a compartment, the shot are preferably heldin place by a rubber cement 33 that is vulcanizable at room temperature.The addition of this cement after the shot, adds extra weight. It isdesirable to always add the same measured amount of cement, andcounterweight the balancing device used to offset this. The cement maybe sufficient to at least partially fill the opening 31, but this is notnecessary.

Wherever a vulcanizable rubber cement is used, it is preferablycompounded to cure at room temperature,

as is known in the art. Low heat may be applied. Instead of a curablecement, it is possible to use a molten resin that solidifies on cooling.

I In FIGURE 5, the edge 35 of the sack 36 is cemented to the innersurface of the end of the grip. This may be facilitated by making theend of the grip as a separate piece, cementing the sack 36 to this, andthen cementing this assembly to the balance of the grip. The shot orother Weighting means are added to the sack after the grip has beenplaced on the shaft.

The shaft of FIGURE 6 is plugged several inches from its end by a piece40 of rubber or cork or the like which is spherical or egg-shaped or ofany desired shape. It preferably forms a tight fit in the shaft, so thatthe use of adhesive is not necessary. Cushioning material C is placed inthe compartment thus formed. Shot 41 are then added through the openingin the end of the grip.

FIGURE 7 shows a club provided with a small sack 50 attached to thegrip, much as the sack of FIGURE 1, but the sack is smaller than that ofFIGURE 1'. It is filled so full of shot that they are held tight againstone another so that they cannot rattle. There is no need for cushioningmaterial in the sack.

In the structures illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9, the compartment ismade by plugs 60 and 70, respectively, which fit tight in the shaft.Plug 60 is like the plug of FIGURE 6; plug 70 is cork-shaped. Such plugsmay be of cork, rubber, etc. The club of FIGURE 8 is weighted by pouringthrough the opening in the grip a required amount of rubber cement 62,weighted by lead oxide or other heavy compounding ingredient.Furthermore, it contains vulcanizer and accelerator such that it curesquickly at room temperature. The cement is added in just the amount togive the desired balance.

FIGURE 9 illustrates the use of fine shot 72-many more than are requiredof the larger size. These shot are held in the compartment by adding asmall amount of readily solidified rubber cement or the like 73.Preferably, the same weight of cement is always used and a counterweightof its exact weight is used in balancing with the shot so that thedesired balance will be obtained after adding the cement. The amount ofcement used need not be suificient to till the compartment and the holein the grip, but may be sufficient only to partially fill thecompartment. 7

Instead of a cushioning material C, or in addition to such material, theindividual shot or other particulate material may be covered by rubberor the like to prevent them from rattling. FIGURE 10 illustrates a shot80 with resilient covering 81.

The various figures illustrate different specific embodiments of theinvention. The different types of compartments and weighting means areinterchangeable, with or without cushioning means as required. More orless weighting is utilized, as found necessary. The compartment may beformed in any suitable manner. Modifications in' the specificembodiments which have been described and illustrated in the drawings,will suggest themselves to the man skilled in the art.

The invention is disclosed in the claims which follow.

What I claim is:

1. A golf club which comprises a hollow shaft, 21 compartment in theouter end of the shaft with individual solid'particulate weighting meanstherein, and a grip at the top end of the shaft with an opening in theend of 4, the grip into the compartment which is just large enough topermit said individual particulate weighting means to be forcedtherethroug-h, said grip except for said opening closing the end of theshaft.

2. The golf club of claim 1 in which the compartment is a part of thegrip and removable from the shaft therewith. a

3. The golf club of claim 1 in which the compartment is attached to theshaft and separable from the grip.

4. The golf club of claim 1 in which the compartment is provided withholding means held between the grip and the shaft and separable fromboth, with an opening in the holding means in line with the opening inthe grip.

5. The golf club of claim 1 in which a sack forms the compartment.'

6. The golf club of claim 1 in which there isa metal cap over the end ofthe shaft inside of the grip with an opening therein which coincideswith the opening in the grip and the compartment is attached to saidcap.

7. The golf club of claim 1 in which the grip includes a plug portionwhich makes a tight fit within the end of the shaft, and the compartmentis within the plug.

8. The golf club of claim 1 in which the compartment occupies the entireinner portion of the top end of the shaft.

9. The golf club of claim 8 in which the compartment is formed in theend of the shaft by a plug having a generally cylindrical cross sectionthrough one portion thereof, which plug at said cross section makes atight fit with the inner surface of the shaft.

10. The golf club of claim 1 in which there is cushioning means in thecompartment which fills it and keeps the particles of the weightingmeans from rattling.

11. The golf club of claim 1 in which the weighting means is particulateand there is solidified liquid between the particulate material and theopening.

12. The method of weighting a golf club with solid particulate material,the club comprising a hollow shaft with a, compartment in its outer endwith a grip covering the end of the shaft, the grip having an openingthrough the end thereof just large enough to permit individual particlesof said solid material to be forced theret-hrough, which methodcomprises forcing the particles of the particulate material through theopening.

13. The method of weighting a golf club with solid particulate material,the club comprising a hollow shaft with a compartment in its outer endwith a grip covering the end of the shaft, the grip having an openingthrough the end thereof into the compartment just large enough to permitindividual particles of said solid material to be forced therethrough,which method comprises forcing the particles of the particulate materialthrough the opening and maintaining the particles positioned in the samerelative position to one another in the end of the shaft adjacent thegrip.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,210,182 Lynch Dec. 26, 1916 1,611,925 Link Dec. 28, 1926 1,622,864Findlay Mar. 29, 1927 2,782,035 East Feb. 19, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS13,337 Great Britain June 2,1911

1. A GOLF CLUB WHICH COMPRISES A HOLLOW SHAFT, A COMPARTMENT IN THEOUTER END OF THE SHAFT WITH INDIVIDUAL SOLID PARTICULATE WEIGHTING MEANSTHEREIN, AND A GRIP AT THE TOP END OF THE SHAFT WITH AN OPENING IN THEEND OF THE GRIP INTO THE COMPARTMENT WHICH IS JUST LARGE ENOUGH TOPERMIT SAID INDIVIDUAL PARTICULATE WEIGHTING MEANS TO BE FORCEDTHERETHROUGH, SAID GRIP EXCEPT FOR SAID OPENING CLOSING THE END OF THESHAFT.